Editorial: Moderates can bring capitol, state together

After two rounds of recall elections and Tuesday's general election, Wisconsin's government is, in one way, exactly where it was after the 2010 election.

There's a Republican governor and Republicans hold the majority in both the Senate and the Assembly.

Yes, a lot has happened in that time. Act 10 disempowered public employee unions but is now in limbo. The state's structural deficit was virtually eliminated. The medical assistance budget increased, yet didn't keep pace with need. School districts and municipalities tried to balance state aid cuts with gains on pensions and health insurance premiums. Job growth remains elusive.

But, even though Act 10 led to protests that divided the state like never before, voters have again given the Republican Party not only the balance of power, but all of the power, in the state capitol.

Our hope is that it'll be used wisely - and to bring the capitol, and the state, closer together.

If that sentiment seems naive, it's understandable. Republicans will want to use their power, just as they did two years ago and just as the Democrats did four years ago. Elections matter, and voters have given them that right.

But, with one party holding all the cards, there's the danger that it'll overreach. There's precedent, too. Democrats overreached and lost their majorities and the governor's office. Republicans overreached on Act 10, causing the division that led to the recalls.

That's why it's crucial for moderate Republicans - moderate politicians from both parties, actually - to band together. It may be less possible for them to have influence in the Assembly, where the GOP will have a 60-39 advantage. But in the Senate, where the GOP's majority will be 18-15 or 17-16, moderates could wield enough power to stop extreme legislation.

They could also wield enough power to bring both sides closer together on the budget and the other difficult issues the next Legislature faces.

That would go a long way in getting the whole state closer together - and might even help them get re-elected in 2014.

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Editorial: Moderates can bring capitol, state together

After two rounds of recall elections and Tuesday's general election, Wisconsin's government is, in one way, exactly where it was after the 2010 election. There's a Republican governor and Republicans

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